Warning: this is a review of the first season finale of Telltale Games‘ episodic Game of Thrones videogame. “The Ice Dragon” is the sixth and final episode in the season, and while I will omit many details so that you can experience the fun for yourself, there will be SPOILERS. Consider yourself warned.
When playing through this final chapter of Telltale Games’ Game of Thrones series, one quote kept coming to mind. It was something said by Ramsay Snow: “If you think this has a happy ending, you haven’t been paying attention.” Never has a line been more appropriate, nor has it proved more true, than in Episode 6, “The Ice Dragon.”
The episode opens rather quickly, and the action rapidly escalates to a crescendo. Where past episodes took their time building the overall story, “The Ice Dragon” wastes no time getting to the good stuff. At the beginning, Gared Tuttle—Lord Forrester’s former squire—is finally getting his first glimpse of the fabled North Grove. Gared, along with Sylvi and Cotter, realize they are being stalked by a rather large bear, and decide to rush into the North Grove for safety. When they reach it, the bear charges in and all seems lost.
It’s here where we meet the brother and sister charged with protection of the North Grove, and learn about the magical powers that each posseses. As it turns out, the bear is a familiar to the brother (he’s a warg) and the sister uses blood magic to control an army of blank-faced wildlings. Once Gared proves that he was sent to the North Grove by the now deceased Lord Forrester, a big secret is revealed about the siblings.
As we soon find out, the North Grove isn’t impervious to wight attacks. Gared and the siblings, along with the bear and the army of magically controlled wildlings, must defend themselves from an undead attack. After the battle, Gared is faced with a very tough decision, one made more difficult by his close friendship with Cotter.
In King’s Landing, Mira Forrester presents herself to Lady Margaery Tyrell, who seems to be willing to forgive her handmaiden her past transgressions—all Mira need do is betray her friend. While forgiving Mira, Margaery must also distance herself from the ambitious young girl, as her maneuverings have made her a target of the Lannisters. Mira learns that she is being hunted by the Lannister guards, and turns to her friend the coal boy to secure passage out of King’s Landing and back home to Ironrath…but does she make it?
In the North, Asher leads his army of sellswords and the remnants of his brother’s house guard to the gates of Ironrath, where his return is bittersweet. On one hand, his mother and younger sister are happy to see him, but they know that Rodrick gave his life so that Asher could return home and help save his family.
However, the Whitehills feel they have won the war between the two houses, as Rodrick was slain and therefore the Lord of Ironrath is dead. But Asher is the new Lord Forrester, and he will not give Ironrath over to his family’s most hated enemy.
So, a plan is hatched. When I played through the game the first time, I chose to ambush the Whitehills rather than poison Lord Whitehill’s food and drink. Of course, this is a Game of Thrones story, and nothing ever goes as smoothly as planned. During the ambush, most of the initial Whitehill army is slain, and Lord Whitehill escapes to warn the rest of it. Characters are killed, and all hope seems lost…and Telltale does nothing to give the player any hope.
During the final moments of the episode, I found myself actually yelling at my computer, demanding that something good happen. Sadly, it did not. The Forresters are routed, but Asher is thrown on a horse (barely alive) and he escapes certain death. Young Ryon is spared as well, when Asher’s best friend Beskha fulfills her promise to him and flees the battle with the little lord (this reminded me of Osha the wildling protecting Rickon Stark on Game of Thrones). Perhaps this is the smallest of silver linings, but as long as Asher and Ryon live, the male line of House Forrester continues, and the hopes for revenge lives on.
Also, Gared and the siblings—bear and blood magic army in tow—are now marching south to Ironrath to help reclaim the seat of House Forrester. This is where the hope for a Season 2 comes into play. There are simply too many loose threads left dangling, and thus far, the story has been too damned good not to wrap it up.
Individually, “The Ice Dragon” gets 10 out of 10 stars from me. The action and intensity were on point, and the storytelling was superb. As a whole, the first season of Telltale’s Game of Thrones receives 10 stars as well. This game is absolutely worth your time, and is a must for anyone claiming to be a fan of Game of Thrones. Bravo Telltale, and now my watch begins for Season 2.